Julius Caesar Group

Question:

sirajeddin
sirajeddin
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, can Caesar be viewed as the protagonist?

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Posted by sirajeddin on Sunday January 25, 2009 at 9:14 PM and tagged with caesars character, julius caesar, protagonist.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Although Shakespeare's play is named after him, Julius Caesar is not the play's protagonist. He is certainly a very important character--and a real figure in history--but he is not Shakespeare's central character in the play. Although his ghost appears briefly later, Caesar's role in the play effectively ends in Act III with his assassination.

    In addition, the protagonist is the character who earns sympathy and, sometimes, admiration. Caesar's murder is certainly cruel and painful, which perhaps earns him some sympathy, but he is not developed as a very sympathetic character. He is cold, arrogant and self-centered. He is very vain and easily flattered. He will not tolerate any political dissent in Rome. Also, Shakespeare implies that Caesar misuses his power in some respects.

    Shakespeare most likely named his play after Julius Caesar, not because he is the protagonist, but because he and his assassination were so well known to Shakespeare's audience.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/jc/character-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/jc/list-characters

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    Posted by mshurn on Sunday January 25, 2009 at 11:50 PM


  2. jol Student
    High School - 9th Grade

    I think we can assume that Mark Antony or the Triumvirate as the protagonists as Mark Antony earns a lot admiration at the funeral oratiion of Caesar and we can get sympathy on Antony's words at the marketplace where he sees Caesar's dead body.

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    Posted by jol on Tuesday January 27, 2009 at 3:19 AM